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Why We Like This Place

In the hills above UC Berkeley is a spectacular 34-acre garden of earthly delights, nestled in Strawberry Canyon and overlooking the San Francisco Bay. The Botanical Garden is home to over 12,000 different kinds of plants, including many rare and endangered species. A stroll through its varied environments takes you past a cloud forest, a Japanese pool with waterfalls, and even an orchid and carnivorous plant house! This place is more than just a collection of pretty flowers—it’s a living museum.

Among all the natural splendor are several lovely sites for a celebration. Imagine saying “I do” in a grove of majestic redwood trees. Your guests are seated in a demi-amphitheater atop benches built into the earth itself. They anticipate your arrival, catching teasing glimpses of flowing white as you make your way up the forest path. Finally, you and your partner exchange vows, refreshed by air that’s crisp and tinged with the scent of moist bark and leaves.

More intimate ceremonies are held in the Garden of Old Roses, a storybook bower with the visual allure of Monet’s garden at Giverny. Rough-hewn steps climb down to a terraced knoll where your family and friends wait amidst a mix of lavender, blooming annuals and antique roses. Opposite, masses of climbing roses cascade over the beams of a quaint wooden pergola. Completing the romantic vignette, a panorama of the bay unfolds beyond acres of sprawling foliage like a blue ribbon edging a flowery chintz gown.

One option for your reception is the Conference Center, set in the middle of the Palm and Cycad Garden above lush Strawberry Creek. Framed by luxuriant palms, rare cycads and tree ferns, the center’s broad tiled Terrace makes a sunny place for pre-reception cocktails. Scenic backdrops for photos abound nearby—one that’s particularly appealing is a footbridge spanning the lush, green banks of the creek. Here, in the forest’s dewy coolness, brightly colored dragonflies dart from delicate ferns to lily pads, and the silhouette of you and your partner is faintly mirrored in the water below.

Inside the Conference Center are two adjoining rooms, each with greenhouse windows that let the sunshine in and showcase the surrounding greenery. You might have your banquet in one, do the cake cutting in the other, and then dance on the Terrace. During cooler months, host everything indoors.

The latest addition to the gardens is the historic Julia Morgan Hall, designed by the famous architect in 1911 and moved to its new home here in 2014. The building is perfect for small upscale receptions and rehearsal dinners, with an interior done entirely in warm, dark wood. The elegant main room features a fireplace and a floor-to-ceiling picture window that looks out to the attached deck and the California section of the garden beyond. It opens to both the deck and a charming sunroom, creating a wonderful indoor/outdoor flow between the spaces. Just steps from the hall, the elevated Tour Deck provides an excellent spot for toasting the newlyweds while surveying the New World Desert garden below.

Whichever sites you choose in this horticultural wonderland, you can be sure of one thing: You’re taking the concept of “a simple garden wedding” to a whole new level! And if you’re planning a meeting, seminar or private party, this unique venue works beautifully for those events, too.

Capacity

Ceremony

Max. Seated Indoors: 100

Max. Seated Outdoors: 200

Reception/Special Events

Max. Seated Indoors: 100

Max. Seated Outdoors: 60

Max. Standing Indoors: 100

Max. Standing Outdoors: 60

Meetings

Max. Seated: 80

CEREMONY CAPACITY: The Rose Garden seats up to 70, and the Redwood Grove up to 200.

Fees & Deposits

A deposit based on the package selected is required to reserve your date, and the balance is due 1 month after the contract is signed. Wedding packages range $750–1,250 for a ceremony only, and $3,100–4,500 for a ceremony and reception. Pricing varies depending on the sites selected and day of the week. Hourly rental for non-wedding events is available during certain time blocks; contact the venue for more details.